The morning of the 9th of Blue Moon. The main road of the upper-class district beyond Spadas second wall is crowded with people commuting to work or school.

As I step aside to avoid an enormous Golem dressed up in a suit, my shoulder lightly bumps into that of a gray-robed man who appears unexpectedly from behind the Golem.

Sorry.(Kurono)

Oh no, it was my fault.(Man)

We stop for a moment to exchange words of apology. We only bumped shoulders; it would be abnormal for an argument to start over it.

I try to begin walking again as if nothings happened, but

Umm, is there something wrong?(Kurono)

I feel a sharp gaze coming from the robed man. He has black and blue odd-colored eyes and beautiful blonde hair Guh, as much as I hate to admit it, my ideal of a high-level handsome face is peeking out at me from beneath the mans hood.

Its not a delicate face like Neros that looks like a soft mask; it might be more appropriate to say that his masculine face is heroic than to say that its handsome. Its the kind of face that would receive more praise from men for beingcoolthan from women.

I thought I recognized you No, my apologies, it seems I have mistaken you for someone else.(Man)

Huh, I see.(Kurono)

I suppose thats true; Ive never seen his face before. Im sure Id never forget such a handsome man. His odd-colored eyes and blonde hair make a really memorable color combination, too.

Ah, now that I think about it, his colors are the exact opposite of mine. I suppose its to be expected of a foreign world; there are humans with strange appearances everywhere.

Hey, whats wrong?(Lily)

Ah, sorry, Lily. Im coming now.(Kurono)

Lily, who was wondering why Ive suddenly stopped, pulls on my robe forcefully.

As Im pulled forward, I start walking again.

As I turn around and look back, I see that the gray-robed super-handsome man has already disappeared on the other side of the crowd.

What terrible congestion. The center of Elysions town was like this as well.(Fiona)

Munching on her breakfast of skewered meat with a bored expression on her face, Fiona follows us, one step behind.

Seeing her stuff her cheeks with the heavy meat dish that is dripping with juices, I can see that her stomach is in fine shape today as well.

Though I look at her fondly, I do have one worry.

Be careful of the juices dripping. Youre wearing new clothes, after all.(Kurono)

Its alright, this is a present from you, Kurono-san, so I wont put a single stain on it.(Fiona)

Im wearing an apprentices robe and Lilys wearing the black one-piece dress she always wears; Fiona alone is the only one who is wearing something different from usual.

Shes wearing a one-piece dress with a different design to Lilys. Its not black, but pure-white. Its made of a different material, too. Its not Ancient Velvet, but a magic fabric called Valhalla Silk. Still, it can be called a high-class material thats worth just as much.

This expensive, white, one-piece dress is a present I gave to Fiona to celebrate our party reaching Rank 5 as well as to express my thanks.

The first objective of my shopping trip yesterday was to find this present. These kinds of things should be sorted out quickly.

Still, when I see Fiona wearing casual clothes like this, it reminds me of the time the who of us went out. I was startled to see her in clothes different from the ones she normally wears.

What is it, Kurono-san, youre staring at me Do you want some of my skewer? I would not hesitate to offer you some if its just one mouthful, but (Fiona)

No, I was just thinking that it really suits you.(Kurono)

Its already the middle of autumn, so shed have been cold with just a one-piece dress. Shes put on her own light-blue cape, matching the color of her hair.

Well, I think that a beautiful girl would be nice to look at no matter what she wears.

I-I see Thats, thank you(Fiona)

It seems that Fiona prioritizes her appetite over her sex appeal*; she gives me a cold response and looks the other way as she continues stuffing her face with the skewered meat. Ojou-san, the way youre eating is a little too wild.

TLN*: This is a small play on words as /kuike meaning appetite and /iroke meaning sex appeal are similar-sounding.

Muuh! Kuono, What about Lily! Does this dress suit Lily?!(Lily)

Yeah, of course it does, youre very cute. Youre the cutest, Lily!(Kurono)

Lily giggles with an expression that shows her delight at having been praised. My words were referring not to the black one-piece dress that she always wears, but the shoes on her feet.

The magical pair of shoes calledFairy Dance Shoes, Enchanted with Speed Boost, Light Way and Feather, are the present that I gave Lily.

I gave her the White-pun robe last time, so it would be nice to give her something different, but Lily doesnt wear much equipment. Oh yeah, shoes are something she can wear all the time, alright, lets go with this As a result of this shallow train of thought, I bought these shoes without caring about their price.

Worthy of their price, their magical effects are not at all inferior to the Ancient Velvet one-piece dress and their design is adorable. An essential pair of shoes for a stylish, high-Rank female adventurer that increases both maneuverability and feminine charm or something like that. Thats what the stores employee said.

In fact, as I watch Lily showing off its effects, moving smoothly as if shes skating, I can see that the effects of Feather are working properly.

Well, to a modern Japanese citizen like me, she just looks like a child on rollerblades. Ill tell her later not to skate inside stores.

Still, the Adventurers Guild over here is busy in the morning as well, huh.(Kurono)

One way or another, we reach our destination. As indicated by my exasperated remark, the building directly in front of us is the Adventurers Guild. This is not the academy district branch that has served us until now, but the main headquarters in the upper-class district.

Even the district branch is a magnificent stone building that rural Guild branches like those in Irz Village and Alzas village couldnt compare to, but this place is even more amazing. Its appearance can be summarized with one word,temple.

I suppose the only building Ive seen that comes close is the academys great library. Carved pillars stand in a line, and the same statues of warriors and female knights that Ive seen at the academys front gate as well as the throne room of the royal castle have been placed here for show. The walls and stairs have been decorated scrupulously with even the most minute details, making me realize it would have taken an incredible amount of time and effort to build them no, it might be more appropriate to say that Im overwhelmed by the thought of it. I feel just like a tourist. Ordinary Japanese people would feel the urge to click away with their cameras.

Noblemen and wealthy merchants are pointlessly enthusiastic about submitting requests to the headquarters, so theyre strict about whos allowed in among people who arent adventurers, arent they?(Fiona)

Thats why there are things called easy quests, Lily knows these things, you know!(Lily)

Well, for Lily and Fiona who are inhabitants of this foreign world, I suppose this temple-like building isnt anything out of the ordinary. Theyre making shrewd comments from the adventurers point of view.

Hmm, if I hadnt come to the headquarters on my own yesterday, things would have turned out quite embarrassing for me as I would have been the only one to be restless. Mhmm, it seems that being prepared is important when it comes to anything.

Tanomo~!*

As Lily opens the double-doors, she shouts this phrase that she probably doesnt really understand. As Fiona said a little while ago, the entrance is quite busy; its packed with people who didnt look like adventurers, talking loudly and walking around restlessly. Though Lily has raised her voice a little, nobody takes notice of her.

TLN*: Google tells me this is something shouted by warriors in the Edo period entering the dojo when challenging opponents or something. Tamamo has found another source that suggests it is a cute/funny way to say excuse me or forgive my intrusion or something like that.

But its kind of The atmosphere here is more like a stations platform in rush hour than an Adventurers Guild. All of the people walking around look like businessmen. In fact, though people in Spada dont wear neckties, there are middle-aged men wearing Spadas traditional ceremonial clothes all over the place.

Im relieved to see a large man wearing a suit of armor and a helmet with a greatsword on his back, who is unmistakably an adventurer.

If its an Adventurers Guild, theres no way that I, as a Rank 5 adventurer, should be out of place. Convincing myself of this, I step boldly through the wide entrance.

Todays objective is to accept an easy quest no, a proper Rank 5 quest.

After all, the best way to confirm your strength is to see it during quests, isnt it?(Fiona)

Indeed, what weElement Mastersneed is to confirm our current strength.

Ive acquired the second and third of my divine protections, of course, but Lily and Fiona have also been bestowed divine protections and gained new powers. I dont know the details of their abilities, and they dont know about the powers of my divine protections yet, either.

Yeah, itd be great if there was a really good extermination quest.(Kurono)

Our aim is to enter a proper Dungeon and clear the boss in its deepest chamber, as orthodox adventurers should do. Well fight a variety of monsters in a variety of situations, master the use of our divine protections and think of ways to coordinate the use our new abilities. We cant be happy just because weve all powered up. In order to stabilize our partys fighting strength, we need a suitable amount of practice.

Well then, Ill go and ask at reception first.(Kurono)

Then Lily-san and I will go to collect our rewards.(Fiona)

The other thing weve come here for other than for a quest, or more like the most important thing, is to finally collect our reward money for completing the emergency quest and also the money being paid to us by the nation of Spada.

Theyve thought this through, consolidating it into one payment paid through the Adventurers Guild.

Of course, my greatest concern is the worldly-minded one of just how much were going to receive.

Yeah, Ill leave it to you.(Kurono)

Yes! Leave it to Lily!(Lily)

And so, I entrust Lily with money in the hundreds of millions as I head towards the quest accepting counter in high spirits.

Whether its the district branch or the headquarters, the purpose of the counter the receptionist is sitting at is no different, but the counter here feels more high-class, or rather, I feel like theres a more elite atmosphere floating around it.

Uwah, that person somehow looks just like Erina

Actually, thats really Erina, isnt it?(Kurono)

I see a familiar beautiful Elf woman, smiling pleasantly at those around her. She has chestnut-colored hair in a chignon bun and her eyes are sky-blue. Most importantly, the sight of her in the Guild uniform that Im used to seeing is a perfect match with my mental image of Erina the receptionist.

Welcome to the headquarters of Spadas Adventurers Guild.(Erina)

As if noticing my intense stare, she gives me a small wave along with her usual magnificent smile. It seems that shes just become free, too, so Ill make use of her.

Morning, Kurono-kun.(Erina)

As I approach her, Erina speaks not in formal language, but a relaxed tone. I wonder if its alright for her to talk like that while shes working, but thats resolved by the partitions on either side of the reception desk.

There are barriers set up to prevent sound from passing through them, acting as privacy protection for things like the personal details of high-Rank adventurers, consultations and the contents of requests. There are small, inconspicuous magic circles drawn on the corners of the thin partitions.

In any case, theres no need to hesitate to have a chat with Erina now.

Shes an acquaintance, no, Ill call her my friend. Ill use that relationship to ask her for a variety of information about quests, monsters and all kinds of other things. Maybe she really will introduce me to an easy quest

Yeah, morning, Erina.(Kurono)

With these petty things in mind, I give her a greeting that seems normal on the surface. Well, Erina, as an elite receptionist with maxed-out communication skills*, might be able to see through my superficial ulterior motives.

TLN*: I think in Japanese, this term also includes the ability to tell what people are thinking.

Its kind of been a while, hasnt it? I saw you at the parade, but I couldnt call out to you.(Erina)

I-I see That parade, you were watching it(Kurono)

Uwah, she saw that painful, disgraceful scene that frightened the people instead of making them rejoice. Whatever impressions you got from that parade are wrong; that was because the Nightmare Merry was scaring everyone. Its definitely not my fault.

Yes, you were very cool! It seems that there still arent many people who can appreciate your charm, though?(Erina)

Ah, thanks. It makes me feel better to hear you say that.(Kurono)

Fufu, I know. You look like a berserker on the outside, but youre surprisingly delicate, arent you?(Erina)

Amazing, its like Erina has actually seen through me.

We havent been friends for long; it was only very recently that we met at the academy by coincidence and became on good enough terms to speak to each other informally. To think that she would understand me so well despite that.

Though I feel happy, Im surprised by her communication skills. If she told me that she actually has telepathic abilities on par with Lilys, I think Id believe her.

By the way, why are you at the headquarters, Erina?(Kurono)

My work has been acknowledged and I was promoted to work at the headquarters!(Erina)

Ah, congratula(Kurono)

Thats the official reason, but its actually because I have a private connection with the new Rank 5 adventurer, the Nightmare Berserker.(Erina)

Huh?(Kurono)

In other words, Ive been ordered to keep an eye on you.(Erina)

No way, what for or so I wonder, but now that I think about it, Will said it, didnt he? That Rank 5 adventurers attract attention from both the nation and the Adventurers Guild.

In other words, keeping an eye on the movements of Rank 5 adventurers and gathering as much information about them as possible is considered important enough to make Erina work at the headquarters just because shes acquainted with me.

But is it alright to actually tell me that?(Kurono)

Im not being asked to act as a spy. I dont intend to investigate your secrets, and the same goes for the rest of the receptionists and the other staff. We want to become on more friendly terms with capable Rank 5 adventurers and build bonds of trust. From the adventurers point of view, gaining the trust of the Guild gives access to various conveniences, the Guild doesnt have to be wary of everything they do and they can live a smoother adventurers lifestyle.(Erina)

Rank 5 is nothing if not proof that one possesses vast strength. The Guild wouldnt be able to trust or feel secure about powerful adventurers if it simply treated adventurers in businesslike ways without knowing anything about them.

But if the Guild and powerful adventurers trusted one another, the adventurers would work harder with the Guilds support, providing a relationship of mutual benefit.

I see, I understand the reasoning behind it.(Kurono)

Its good that you understood so quickly. So as long as you get along with me even better, everything will be fine, Kurono-kun. How does it sound? Simple, isnt it?(Erina)

Spending time with Erina in private isnt something Id hesitate to do, and more importantly, having a friendship with such a beautiful woman is something that I, as a sensible man, should welcome.

She did go out of her way to explain the Guilds intentions; it would probably be worse for me to reject her out of suspicion. That would really cause unwanted misunderstandings.

Im often misunderstood in the first place. There would be nothing better than for me to show off my friendly side before my reputation spirals downwards. I have to stop my label of theFiendish Tentacle Manfrom spreading in the academy no matter what!

Ah, if its like that, then Ill be counting on you.(Kurono)

Mhmm, its good that youre working with me. Ill make sure to report to my superiors that youre cooperating.(Erina)

Erina speaks in a light tone with the last syllables in her sentences lengthened. Seriously, please take care of me.

So now that we have the opportunity, how about having lunch with me today? To celebrate your promotion to Rank 5, Ill treat you. Ah, Ill put it down as an expense, so you dont have to hold back or anything (Erina)

I see, then I would certainly enjoy being treated to a meal.(Fiona)

The voice that immediately responds to Erinas attractive offer of a meal is extremely familiar, or rather, its the voice of the girl that I was exchanging words with just a little while ago.

Fiona what are you doing here?(Kurono)

With an expression of surprise and exasperation, I direct this question to the ojou-san who is sticking her face in here from the side.

I suddenly changed my mind. I have left the collection of our rewards to Lily-san.(Fiona)

Fiona speaks nonchalantly. Theres not a single trace of ill will in those white cheeks, only drowsiness. Of course, what she truly desires is food, not sleep.

Excuse me, dear guest, but please do not cut the queue.(Erina)

Erina speaks firm words of warning directed at the sudden intruder. Her expression is stiff now, as if the smile that she was wearing while speaking to me was just an illusion. I can see how firm and brave she is. Theres no mistaking that her ability to fight is non-existent, but even so, she refuses to falter before a Rank 5 adventurer.

Kurono-san, shall we use this opportunity to go to the Sushi store? Since this receptionist is apparently treating us.(Fiona)

I wonder if you could stop ignoring me, rude guest.(Erina)

Fiona looks indifferent, as if the woman before her is nothing but a wallet, while Erinas cool expression breaks down in anger. Her thin eyebrows are twitching.

H-hey, calm down, Fiona. Sorry, Erina, give me a minute!(Kurono)

I grab Fiona and turn around. I turn my back to the angry-looking Erina and ask what Fionas true intentions are in a small voice.

This place is a little cramped because of the partitions; our faces are close. But I dont care about that right now.

What are you thinking, coming in so suddenly?(Kurono)

Are you familiar with the phrase,honey trap, Kurono-san?(Fiona)

Im not dull enough to be oblivious to suspicion that is written all over Fionas face.

Thats Arent you just being too cautious?(Kurono)

Youre nave, Kurono-san. To think that you would be convinced by such an explanation.(Fiona)

Youve been listening since then?!(Kurono)

What about the soundproof barriers?!

No, I could not hear it, but I have a rough idea of what you were talking about. As an adventurer, I am several years your senior, Kurono-san.(Fiona)

Indeed, Fiona has been working as an adventurer since her school days in the Sinclair Republic. Which means that for an experienced person like her, the explanation that was given to me earlier would probably be common knowledge.

No matter what kind of facade the Adventurers Guild may put up, it is composed entirely of relationships that purely consider benefits and costs. There is a risk that they may take advantage of your goodwill. It is standard practice to always be prepared to use the Guild for your own benefit.(Fiona)

I-I see Indeed, I might have accepted Erinas words too easily.

Im sure they werent completely false, but that doesnt mean that she explained all of the Guilds intentions. The Guild wont lie, though. In summary, theyll give me just as much information as I need and no more, and hope that I misunderstand in a way that benefits them.

So youre trying to say that if Im too honest with them, theres a risk that theyll take advantage of me in a way that suits them, right?(Kurono)

Yes, that is how it is. From what I can see, that receptionist is the type that you cannot let down your guard against.(Fiona)

Still, it bothered me earlier. That receptionist she is someone whose life we saved, but Fiona doesnt seem to care about that.

Well, a capable adventurer like Fiona fights dangerous monsters and evil bandits all the time, and saving people is something shes accustomed to. I suppose she cant remember all of the faces of the people shes saved.

And so, I will take over from here.(Fiona)

Take over, which means, umm... Oh yeah, we came to accept a Rank 5 quest. Anything is fine as long as its suitable for us to test our abilities, so I dont have any problems with leaving it to Fionas choice.

Im not so completely convinced by Fionas words that Id push Erina aside, but, well, I suppose its fine in this case. It seems that things will end amicably, too.

Alright, Ill let you do it.(Kurono)

Yes, please leave it to me.(Fiona)

Make sure you do get along with Erina, alright? It wouldnt do us any good if the Guild kept an eye on us, either.(Kurono)

I will handle things carefully.(Fiona)

Is it just my imagination? Its kind of like her golden pupils are swimming. Well, whatever. I believe in you, Fiona.

With that, I tag Fiona in and head straight for the payment counter where Lily is probably handling her first errand of receiving the large amount of money.

Well then, Erina, lets have our meal together some other time.(Kurono)

Eh, no way, Kurono-kun?!(Erina)

Now then, receptionist, please introduce us to a Rank 5 quest.(Fiona)

Fiona stands in front of the counter with a daunting pose, as if to be in the way between me and Erina.

Though I feel sorry that I ended up rejecting Erinas offer to have lunch, I leave without turning to look back.

Ah, by the way, do you like this one-piece dress? It is a sincere gift that Kurono-san gave to me.(Fiona)

Kuh, ngh You witch(Erina)

As Fiona starts boasting about her one-piece dress as if shes really taken a liking to it, Erina lets out a truly frustrated-sounding groan for some reason. Im curious about the conversation between those two, but the moment I step outside the soundproof barrier, I immediately become unable to hear them.

Now then, I wonder just what kind of quest Fiona is going to choose.

Quest Lich Extermination

Reward: 15,000,000 Klans

Time limit: Three months from accepting the quest

Contractor: The Adventurers Guild

Contents of request: The appearance of a Rank 5 Undead monster known as aLichhas been confirmed in the deepest part of theRevival Catacombs.

The Lich, which is an extraordinarily dangerous monster that appears once every ten years, controls the Undead monsters in the Dungeon and in the worst-case scenario, leads its subordinates outside to attack areas inhabited by humans.

An immediate extermination is requested.

This is the quest form that is handed to me by Fiona half an hour later.